7

Road to Roxy

Interspersed in this post are some amazing voices from those who are supporting a petition to ask Roxy to stop using “sexy” to sell their products, a request that I argue pertains to the entire surf industry. You can read about the video that started it all here. You can add your voice to the nearly 20,500 supporters at Change.org to be delivered to Roxy headquarters next week on September 12th.

Prior to the mid-1990s, tracking the surf industry’s use of female surfing images was a nearly non-existent project. Those few of us who did surf rarely, if ever, saw each other featured on the pages of surf magazines or in videos. When surf companies chose to use women to sell product, they most often used non-surfing, “beach babe” models who hung off the male surfers like expendable and easily exchangeable (blondes with similar body types and same skin tone) accessories.

Voice: “I’m sick of seeing women in sports going unnoticed, and watching talented girls who can shred get looked over for sponsorship in favour for girls who can’t really surf but have “the look”. I’m tired of being assaulted daily by images of half naked women with impossibly perfect bodies. These unrealistic images are harmful to women who then feel pressured to look a certain way and have flawless skin, hair, nails and teeth. I want to be seen as equal by men in the water who so often think it’s ok to comment on girls appearances and compare us to other women. This way of promotion and selling is degrading and insulting to us as women. It’s time girls got equal respect as surf competitors with prizes that match the mens competitions. They shouldn’t have to sell their bodies to gain headway in a sport. No woman should feel pressured to look a certain way for fear of losing her career.” -Dani Robertson, UK

The image of 1980s surfing (when the surf brands started gaining momentum by taking advantage of a cultural shift toward consumer lifestyle marketing) that the brands and the surf media, Big Surfing, created and promulgated was one that was rebellious and deviant in a rockstar sort of way, complete with booze, drugs and women. Although there were female surfers setting amazing competitive records and a growing number of women in the line-up, surfing did not deviate from its sexism yet it lauded itself for the occasional picture amongst thousands, of a female surfer.

Voice: “Female surfers do not exist to entertain men. They are athletes who should be recognised for their athletic ability and commitment to the sport. This promo video is an insult to women and sends a damaging message to young girls. Great to see so many female surfers speaking out against this garbage.” -Melinda Liszewski, Aus.

It took the emergence and proven success of women’s athletics via Nike and Reebok before Big Surfing became convinced that it ought to back women’s surfing in a tangible way. Enter Quiksilver’s Roxy and the article of clothing that Roxy claims fundamentally shifted women’s surfing forever: women’s surfing trunks.

“The boardshort became a huge trend. Roxy, and women’s surfing along with it, was suddenly the next big thing.” –Roxy, About Us

At the beginning of this same About Us piece, we are told that “female surfers, despite their achievements in and out of the water, hadn’t drummed up nearly the notoriety nor the community that guys had long enjoyed.” This quote places the onus on women’s failure to “drum up” the support that the surf industry refused to give. What this implies in hindsight becomes more clear with the glee we are hearing from the industry and the media regarding today’s new, “hot and sexy generation” of female surfers and how they are being distanced from past generations. This evasion of responsibility is a constant in Big Surfing: every failure is the individual’s or the outgroup’s (in the case of surfers of color or female surfers); every success is the industry’s to claim.

Between these two comments lies an entire hidden history that is steeped in sexism and flagrant misogyny, issues that female surfers in every country touched by Big Surfing have had to negotiate for well over 40 years. When Roxy showed that women’s surfing was a viable, profitable business (one that was the main reason the sales of the surf industry skyrocketed through the 1990s and into the early 2000s), other brands followed suit and women’s surfing was suddenly visible everywhere. Young girls flocked to the oceans and burgeoning all-girl surf schools to learn this liquid dance.

Voice: “The objectification of females has been something we have been fighting to stop for years. I can’t believe in a sport that has also fought for equality and justice, one of the leading sponsors has endorsed yet another injustice. Please Roxy, as females we deserve more, our girls deserve more, we simply deserve respect. It’s time.” -Lisa Mambro, Aus

One would think that women’s surfing would fiscally equal men’s surfing because of this, but we have not yet seen this to be the case. The sexism and misogyny of Big Surfing have been blanketed by an image of women’s surfing that is highly controlled and fantastically written. Female surfers from within the industry who speak out about this in a tangible way are dropped by their sponsors, blacklisted from the industry and the surf media, and effectively silenced and wiped from Big Surfing-white-male-written surf narrative. What the next generation sees is what Big Surfing wants it to see, modeling for the next generation of aspiring pro surfer girls and girls who want to live the surfing lifestyle what they need to look and act like.

Currently, that narrative is social networking fame highlighting non-action oriented images and hypersexuality, neither of which translates to being a better surfer or even being perceived as a better surfer (multiple studies show the opposite is true*) or the progression of the women’s surf industry.

Voice: “I believe this type of advertising is of poor taste and can create a distorted perception of women in society. Young girls are growing up, discovering themselves and these sexualized images can influence their belief on their own self –image. Over decades women have fought hard to gain respect and equal rights. This type of advertisement is destroying everything that has been fought for. Therefore I believe advertising for women should be made to empower women not objectify them.” -Emily Campbell

Voice: “This is not what it is to be either an athlete or a women, that’s about selling women’s bodies or maybe porn, I have three daughters and they will not have to think this is what they should have as a role model.” -Kyra deAguiar, Brazil

Voice: “Really Roxy? As a mum of 2 little girls, I’m always on the look out for women who might inspire them, surfing and surfers inspire me, and my husband is a passionate surfer, we live in France and were planning to come to the Roxy pro contest….Then I showed him #whoamIjustguess. I said, ‘hey do you want to watch the roxy pro trailer?’ and he said ‘yeah, has it got some cool surfing in it?’ We were both disappointed. What a waste of time, there are so many talented women surfing at the moment, and you chose to show one woman, who wasn’t even surfing? What a joke. ‘Who am I?’ Who cares, it could be any model, she clearly doesn’t need to surf to be important – or make you money. You should be embarrassed by this.” -Kate Apanui, France

The ocean can be a place where women can escape the sexism found on land (in the media, at work, in the home, at school) and reconnect with who we are despite the noise of our cultural environment. For a company or an industry that purports to represent our lifestyle to do so in such a way is not only disingenuous but also damaging to future generations of girls and women who might find solace in this amazing activity. My hope is that Big Surfing will finally start listening to our voices instead of those continuing to spout the old narrative that has grown stale and is oft times simply repelling.

“‘The blame isn’t on the athlete,’ Fink continued. ‘They’re playing the only game that exists. I think soon the marketing executives and mainstream media need to realize how the next generation wants to see its female athletes. And that’s simply as athletes.’

The irony, as both Fink and Lavoi point out, is that some female athletes, and entire leagues, are still glamming themselves up in the name of mainstream appeal, even though several studies have shown (for male and female athletes) there is no correlation between seeing a sexy image and then actually turning on the game to watch the player whose sexy image you have seen.

‘Actually, what helps, believe it or not, is to show their true athletic ability,’ Fink said.

The articles you have posted are studies reflecting advertising trends, not attitudes of potential buyers. The studies I have posted regard the attitudes of potential buyers/event attendees specifically related to sports/sporting events/sports attire.

The disconnect that is highlighted between the articles you have posted (use of sex in advertising NOT related to sports) are exactly what the studies I have posted (related to sports) are targeting, that is, that advertisers are using increasingly sexualized images while the attitudes of consumers has shifted (specifically in relation to sports). It is also interesting to note that non-gendered products (technology, banking) do not relate in this study compared to gendered products (perfumes). This is something that has been tracked for some time. How we gender objects in the media matters.

Sociological studies on consumer attitudes will precede any changes in advertising… a recent example of how backlash from consumers helps push this trend forward can be found post-Change.org petition re: Godaddy’s superbowl commercial. The results of which can be found here: http://venturebeat.com/2013/09/05/godaddy-grows-up/

Using models to assess the “value” of men and women in society is accurate only insofar as you understand that women’s currency has traditionally been image-based vs. men’s currency being action-based, though this is exactly the shift that we are trying to undermine. Fashion is the one place where women’s currency overrides men’s currency (there is no “doing” in modeling but there is in designing, an occupation that has been dominated by male designers for some time)… but looking at the cost of using this “feminine currency” is a worthwhile endeavor as well. This currency has very short shelf-life and deserves no place in merit-oriented environments (military, work, sports, play, etc), though the old system continues to leak over because of stodgy, male-dominated/oriented culture.

Societies that require a female workforce or female soldiers are more likely to shift away from these traditionalist views… larger culture shifts prolong or abbreviate antiquated ideals of gender. This gender based “currency” system is just as fluid as gender itself so that if advertising finds that marketing males in objectified ways makes companies money, we will see this too, as we are, but the cultural results for men will differ from women very much due to traditional modes of perceiving women and femininity.

Jeff’s comment is highly offensive, not because I think he truly meant it to be. Listing reliable sources to provide enlightenment is a good way to make a point. But the only point I got is that you, Jeff, are trying to both placate us women with data, while letting us know that you are not like the other guys. What I got from your post is a softer version of that same old, “Shut-up bitch, what are you complaining about?”.
The fact (or rumor) that female models are being paid more than male models does nothing for 99.9% of the world’s attitudes about a woman’s “place”. The vast majority of employed women still walk the walk of more work for less money. Female models have been under enormous pressure to simultaneously sex it up and starve themselves. Maybe their paychecks are getting bigger because less women are willing to deal with the BS that the modeling world expects of them. Like most business endeavors, advertising remains a male-dominated scene. I know, ’cause I’m a woman that’s been creating ads since 1980. It’s been an uphill battle to prove my worth, even though I’m dedicated and talented. Ironic that my biggest checks come from creating imagery and convincing copy, as if from a man’s perspective.

Marina,
I almost didn’t respond to your post, because I didn’t think it dignified an answer. If you found that to be offensive, you’re looking too deep into what is there.

You chose to get in the advertising business, knowing it is a male dominated industry. 33 years later, fighting an uphill battle daily, to prove your worth, you are now voicing a complaint? It’s a little late in the game for that!

I didn’t create this, I just exist in it. MY world has the same pay scale for men and women. The different trades have different pay rates, but regardless of your sex, you’re getting the same wage as your coworker, within your craft. I know this may blow your mind, but the company I work for even has women in upper management! (Please note heavy sarcasm)

This next part is about me.
I had NEVER heard of 3 time world longboard champion, Cori Schumacher until the FB controversy. Longboarding is what I do when the waves are small, so I don’t follow longboarding, male or female.
I follow womens pro surfing because I like surfing, period.

I’m a surfer with an opinion, just like everybody else who has posted here. If my opinion offended you, I’m not sorry. Get over it, or to quote you, (copy and paste) “Shut-up bitch, what are you complaining about?”.

Jeff. It’s your exclusionary attitude and authoritative tone that is really troubling. But you are not alone. Most privileged Anglo males have trouble understanding what it means to be held back because you are the “wrong” gender, or the “wrong” color. If you don’t know it, or never experience it, it must not exist. Women’s history is as invisible to you as Cory was. And btw, it’s never “too late in the game” for righting inequities. I just drove from the Mexican border to the Sonoma Coast, so I’m a little beat for a full blown discussion. But much more needs to be discussed, because you obviously don’t get it. But hey, thanks for trying. Or did you?

ex·clude [ik-sklood] Show IPA
verb (used with object), ex·clud·ed, ex·clud·ing.
1.
to shut or keep out; prevent the entrance of.
2.
to shut out from consideration, privilege, etc.: Employees and their relatives were excluded from participation in the contest.
3.
to expel and keep out; thrust out; eject: He was excluded from the club for infractions of the rules.

ex·clu·sion [ik-skloo-zhuhn] Show IPA
noun
1.
an act or instance of excluding.
2.
the state of being excluded.
3.
Physiology . a keeping apart; blocking of an entrance.

Thank you for your kind words (again, heavy sarcasm). There is no need for further discussion or dialogue. We are on different planes and speak different languages. You see wrongs where there are none. I’m using the example of MY workplace. In MY world, it’s equal. Therefore, we are in different dimensions.

From what I have read, you have issues that go back years from choices that you have made. Only you can correct the path you have traveled, right what you believe is wrong. Like Cori, going after “big surfing”. Fix what she perceives as “wrong”.

I hope that you are successful on your quest, filled with luck, you’ll need it.

Jeff, it would do you a world of good to get out of your cubicle (where everything is so orderly, predictable and fair) and learn how the world, not just your world, rotates.
If you want a taste of what I am talking about, head over, with your longboard and penchant for small waves, to the Westside Of Oahu and feel what it’s like to be shut out of that which you think you deserve or have earned, just because your skin is the wrong color.
Glad your life is so shiny and perfect. My wish is to see people like you get off your collective asses and consider what you can do for the rest of the people on this earth. People are suffering inequities (due to their race, gender, sexual orientation, national, religious or socio economic status) that you haven’t even begun to imagine.

Here is the answer: women are highly jealous of other women who are better looking. If the World’s best female surfer got the shaft and a surfing magazine instead chose some super hot, female greenhorn surfer that was lucky enough to get up on her board for the photo shoot beacuase the magazine knew it would sell more magazines, your likely to see an anti-pretty greenhorn female surfer group organize to put an end to visually stimulating, revenue producing, hot chick on the cover magazines. Get over it ya jealous ain’t that pretty females! Guys do not raise such a fuss. Some people have looks, some don’t. Some people have athletic skill, some don’t. Look at Johnny Football! That guy is a greasy, pimple infested, moon crater of an ugly heisman trophy winner. Sports Illustrated ain’t selling their magazines because he’s hot. They are selling them because he is fucking good at what he does.

Moral of the story: If you don’t have what it takes to be a supermodel, master something else in this World. You’ll never be the best at anything if your subconsciously jealous of someone that has something God didnt want to give you.